July 7, 2023 – ZOOM:
“He was a primary spherical man going into the 12 months.”
That is Kris Kline speaking.
Kline, then Assistant GM and VP of Scouting Ops, and now a Particular Assistant to GM and President of Baseball Ops Mike Rizzo, was talking on the second night time of the 2023 Draft.
He’d simply overseen the choice of right-handed pitcher Travis Sykora, within the third Spherical of the draft, with the 71st total choose.
Kline defined to reporters why Sykora was obtainable when Washington’s spot, the primary choose of the third Spherical got here up.
“Over the summer time he had some minor supply points,” Kline stated.
Travis Sykora’s gone 9 straight innings with out permitting a success (throughout two begins). That stretch contains 14 strikeouts and only one stroll. He ought to get yet one more inning as we speak. The stuff & command is unreal from behind residence plate: pic.twitter.com/bHEfu2eie2
— Spencer Nusbaum (@spencernusbaum_) August 10, 2024
“It was extra effort, slightly head-whack and recoil in his supply. [He] actually cleaned it up in a brief time frame this 12 months and it appears much more polished, so much much less effort now. He’s a child that can attain triple-digits along with his fastball. He’ll present you flashes of an above-average slider, a wipeout-type pitch that he’ll put guys away with. He’s obtained a split-finger that he’ll in all probability scrap and doubtless go to extra of a conventional changeup in the long run, however large physique with an awesome arm and the makings of a plus slider.”
“We truly had quite a lot of historical past with him.” Mark Baca, then Assistant Director of Beginner Scouting, now the Nationals’ West Coast Crosschecker, was on the Zoom name with Kline.
Baca added to Kline’s scouting report with data on the membership’s historical past of scouting the highschool pitcher from Spherical Rock Excessive College, in Spherical Rock, TX, the place Sykora put up 108 Ks in 58 IP as a senior, giving up simply seven earned runs on 22 hits (for a 1.09 ERA), whereas issuing simply 15 walks.
In response to Baca, the membership’s scouts have been following Sykora for years.
“Going again a few summers in the past … he was on the radar, in all probability projected going into the 12 months in all probability center of the primary spherical, so we really feel very lucky to have gotten him the place we obtained him.”
7/10/23 PRESS RELEASE FROM NATIONALS:
“[Sykora] was ranked the No. 36 draft prospect by Baseball America and the No. 40 draft prospect by MLBPipeline.com. He was ranked the No. 29 total prospect by Excellent Sport and the No. 5 right-handed pitching prospect. Excellent Sport additionally ranked him the No. 2 prospect from the state of Texas and prime right-handed pitching prospect within the state.”
Sykora fell from a possible first-round choose to the third spherical, however signed for $2.6M, which MLB’s Pipeline scouts observe in his write-up, was, “… (roughly High 35 cash) to get him away from a Texas dedication.”
Sykora didn’t pitch within the minors in 2023, however his first style of professional ball this season, pitching for Class-A Fredericksburg, was a hit for the 20-year-old, 6’6’’ right-hander, and Class-A Carolina League champions. He was named the group’s Minor League Pitcher of the Yr.
Travis Sykora is so so good! 5 no hit innings with 7 Ok tonight. Lowered his ERA to 2.78 on the 12 months with 63 Ok in 45 innings. Over his final 5: 25 IP/1.44 ERA/34 Ok/6 BBNats 2023 third rounder. pic.twitter.com/PFvGrmfQbz
— Chris Clegg (@RotoClegg) July 10, 2024
He was named Carolina League Pitcher of the Yr too, “after going 5–3 with a 2.33 ERA, 129 strikeouts and 27 walks in 85.0 innings throughout 20 begins,” because the Nationals famous:
“From his debut on Could 1 by way of the tip of the season, Sykora led all Minor League pitchers (min. 85.0 IP) with a .168 opponent’s batting common and 5.29 hits per 9.0 innings, whereas he ranked amongst them in strikeouts per 9.0 innings (2nd, 13.66) and WHIP (third, 0.91). His 129 strikeouts paced all of Single-A and ranked fourth amongst Nationals Minor Leaguers, regardless of his later begin.”
“He’s an enormous bodily pitcher out of Texas that we overpaid, gave him first-round cash within the third-round a pair years in the past.” That’s Mike Rizzo, speaking with the Sports activities Junkies.
He stated Sykora’s rise has been faster than anticipated. Sykora is ranked the No. 2 prospect in Washington’s system proper now by MLB Pipeline’s scouts, the highest pitcher on the record.
“He’s a projection right-handed pitcher that actually developed pretty shortly. He’s an higher 90s [mph] man, he’s touched 100 a pair instances. He’s obtained slider, changeup, good supply. He’s a horse.”
In Rizzo’s estimation, as a 20-year-old pitching at Class-A, Sykora, is, “… simply scratching the floor and beginning to come into his personal.”
“I used to be watching Sykora pitch.” Massive league supervisor Davey Martinez, in speaking about Dylan Crews, the No. 2 total choose in 2023, coming to the majors this previous August, talked about catching a few of Sykora’s outing that week as properly. “He threw the ball rather well, so we’re enthusiastic about him as properly. He’s younger, we’d not see him anytime quickly…”
However …
